How familiar is this to all of us? I often do this for something simple like trying to find gluten-free ingredients in Whole Foods so I can make a special cake for a friend. Not a big deal, there’s only about five minutes lost searching for the ingredients before I get the gumption to talk to an associate and theres on extra money involved.

My mechanic at Piedmont Autocare told me about one of his customers whose car had a major oil leak. Instead of fixing it or buying a new car she'd simply refill it over and over again to delay "spending money". Ok, so probably a few thousand dollars were spent for the multiple quarts purchased over a period of time, not to mention the effect on the environment, but it wasn't like spending hundreds of thousands of dollars. What do you think, did she actually save?

Before Kitchen, Alameda Victorian (note this kitchen had been this way for 10+ years due to over enthusiasm without a plan)

Lately I've been contacted by several homeowners through Houzz and Yelp who have also tried to save money, their contractor has already started demolition and may have even started reconstruction yet have nothing to install and their timeline completion date is two weeks away! One said "I should have contacted you earlier, but I kind of wanted to save money and tried to select everything by myself, but I failed... Sad face." I'm not writing this to put them in a bad light, rather I know many homeowners like yourself who are spending $50,000 - $150,000 yet succumb to this same pitfall and I hope that you can learn from another's experience.

So how do you decide if you need an interior design professional to work with? First, ask yourself a few questions and be honest with your answer.

What are you willing to invest in your kitchen or bath remodel?

What is my financial state and where am I funding my remodel from?

It’s all saved up and set aside and there is room to be flexible

I'm getting a second mortgage or home loan and my max spending has been approved

I'm using credit cards to get the miles and I can make regular payments so it's not an issue

What is my schedule and availability to work alone or with a kitchen and bath designer?

I'm a stay at home parent with a flexible schedule and my spouse is almost always at work

I'm single and I work long hours and I only have Saturdays open

My spouse and I both work long hours, but we can occasionally take a few hours off during the week

My family is constantly on the go, between work, kids sports and other activities, and my volunteer work, I have no idea when I'll be able to make my remodel happen

Have you remodeled in the past?

How did it go?

Was the end result something you are proud of?

Did I do it by myself, let my contractor dictate or work with a designer before hand?

Is there anything I would've done differently if only I...?

Did it look professional or like I did it myself?

Now weigh out the true cost implications to your life

What is your time worth / how much do you get paid an hour?

If you were to miss work for full 8 hour days at a time what would that cost you?

What kind of connections and resources do you have to go to great showrooms the first time?

Will you be visiting 3 or more of the same type of showroom for tile, lighting, cabinets etc?

If you were to work with someone who does this every day, how do you think your time spent might vary compared to being on your own?

Hint: I typically work with homeowners in 3 hour increments and around 4 different showroom visits

Or we have a discussion and use the Houzz ideabooks so that I can act as their personal shopper and bring back possible solutions to discuss at a more ideal time

After Kitchen, Alameda Victorian

When should you start selecting materials? Right away (as in weeks or months before your contractor has started to demolish your existing space) with these steps

It may be in your subconscious at first. Start with a Houzz ideabook as I've described a few weeks ago in my article "Houzz???".

Go through a schematic design to layout your space. Maybe it's not changing locations all that much, that's ok, do something to help you visualize anything that isn't your out-dated, falling apart, dirty looking, cluttered kitchen or bath that you have now

Make a detailed list of all the parts and pieces you think you need, then add the many more parts and pieces you didn't know you need